Saturday, August 24, 2013

Of course the big story
this morning was all about Linda Ronstadt coming forward with the announcement
that she has Parkinson's Disease ... and is no longer able to sing. (We first
heard about this around 6 am Chicago time, apparently around four hours after it
first hit the newswire ... but then had to go into work today so I couldn't
get anything up on the site. Of course since then we received at least another
40 emails about it so this is no longer "breaking news" ...but still news worth sharing!)

Another very sad ending to
another very remarkable career. Linda hasn't been real visible lately but once
again the point is driven home that we're all getting older. (More on this ...
from a personal perspective ... later. Yep, this is a BIG week for
me!)

Anyway, our prayers go out
to Linda ... look at Michael J. Fox ... he's now doing a brand new television
series which regularly talks about his affliction. (kk)

re: BRIAN
WILSON:

Hey Kent ...

The Rip Chords were
recently in Simi Valley, California playing a big Car Show / Concert event
there. We invited longtime Beach Boys Drummer Bobby Figueroa and Al Jardine
keyboardist Tom Jacob to perform with us on a few songs, which they did. And we
performed with the great Donna Loren on two of her hits, "Muscle Bustle" and "It
Only Hurts When I Cry" from the Beach Party Films she was in. It was amazing
being onstage with Donna and it rocked!!Also ... Richie and I attended the
Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, David Marks performance in Atlantic City last month.
An amazing show, as always. We bumped into the great Mark Lindsay there!!!! It
was so cool to be there listening to Richie and Mark talk about the old days and
memories of Terry Melcher, recording, etc. Mark was kind enough to give me a
copy of his new CD, which is absolutely amazing! If The Raiders had ever gotten
together to record a real reunion album, this would be the album. It's great to
hear Mark rocking again! I've attached a photo of Richie and I with Mark, and a
photo of Richie, my wife Amy, and I backstage with David, Brian and Al (courtesy
of Jeff McEvoy), and a photo of Bobby Figueroa jamming with Original Rip Chord
Arnie Marcus onstage in Simi Valley, and Donna Loren onstage with us there
too!!! More later!All the best!Mitch Schecter / The Rip
Chords

Wow! Cool stuff to
be sure. Brian and Mark worked together on a couple of tracks for that LP so
we're anxious to hear them. I would have LOVED to sit in on that conversation
between Richie and Mark about the good old days with Terry Melcher ... what a
fascinating discussion that must have been! As always, thanks for sharing this
with our readers, Mitch ... I truly do appreciate it! (kk)

We saw Mark Lindsay Friday Night as part of The Happy Together Show and once again he sounded great. (He was also hawking his new CD, which by all accounts is very good.) I ran into him back stage just as he was leaving the theater ... he ran up, shook my hand and said "Hello ... and Goodbye!" ... and then he was outta there ... so I never had the chance to ask him about it. You CAN pick it up on Amazon.com however ...

Watch for our review of the show ... in a perfect world, it should be up on the site on Monday Morning! (kk)

And, speaking of
Brian Wilson, here comes some new tour news from FH Reader Tom Cuddy, courtesy
of USA Today ... seems like Brian is teaming up with guitar legend Jeff Beck for
some shows!

BRIAN WILSON, JEFF BECK MAKE
UNIQUE TOUR TEAM

By Marco della
Cava, USA TODAY

The guitarist got the touring
invite after contributing licks to the Beach Boy's upcoming solo
album.

(Photo:
Dan MacMedan, USA
TODAY)

STORY
HIGHLIGHTS: Two legends join forces for a 18-city tour that starts Sept. 27 in Hollywood, Fla. Jeff
Beck also guests on a few songs on Brian Wilson's forthcoming solo
albumBeck
says gig is 'complete honor,' while Wilson looks forward to adding this 'great
guitar player' to mix

Not much gets
guitar ace Jeff Beck rattled. But when he was asked to honor Beach Boy Brian
Wilson at his MusiCares Person of the Year tribute in 2006, Beck nervously
stepped up withSurf's UpandSurfin' USA, just hoping not to
offend.

Beck needn't have
worried. That initial meeting has led to him not only contributing fretwork on
Wilson's forthcoming solo album, but also joining Wilson on a tour that kicks
off Sept. 27 in Hollywood, Fla., and wraps Oct. 27 in Akron, Ohio, with tickets
going on sale Aug. 9.

"He's got a
truckload of hits to play, but we'll build on that and interact," Beck tells
USA TODAY. "Brian will kick things
off, but I'll also be given enough time to establish what I'm about. In the end,
we'll mix and match. It's a complete honor to be on stage with
him."

Wilson calls Beck "very
well versed" in his music, noting that "he'll play in the pockets where I'm not
singing. He brings that great guitar-player kind of thing to the
picture."

Joining Wilson and Beck on stage
will be Beach Boys Al Jardine and David Marks, both just off the band's 50th
anniversary tour.

The 18-city
Wilson/Beck show will ping-pong across North America, with stops in Washington (Oct. 5, Warner Theater), New York
(Oct. 15, Beacon Theater), Los Angeles (Oct 20, a
previously announced show at the Greek Theater) and Detroit (Oct. 25, Fox
Theater). Checkticketmaster.comfor prices, which have not yet been
announced.

Talking to Beck
about Wilson
makes clear the latter's profound impact on already-accomplished musicians
looking for a new direction in the '60s.

"I needed musical
help around 1966, and (the Wilson-helmed Beach Boys masterpiece)Pet
Soundswas dressing on a
wound for me with all its amazing melodies," says Beck. "I was floored by it. So
were The Beatles. It was outrageously adventurous stuff for the
ear."

Beck was
predisposed to like Beach Boys fare, which often celebrates what remains his
passion: building and driving hot rods. "I'd hear that music and it would be an
escape from the humdrum life," he says.

Wilson's new album has
"the flavor ofPet Sounds," says Beck. "Once you hear it,
you'll be whistling the songs for the rest of your life." Wilson says fans can expect
"very mellow sounds, soft and sweet."

Beck contributed to
a handful of tracks, raising interesting possibilities for how their styles
might mix. Wilson says the music he listens to most these
days hails from the past, "things like The Beatles and all the Phil Spector
stuff." Meanwhile, Beck — who says a much-discussed reunion with ex-bandmate Rod
Stewart "is not going to happen" — has of late been diving deep into Eastern and
Irish music, "trying to find out what I'm all
about."

Guitarist
Jeff Beck (Photo:
Denise Truscello, Getty Images)

When Beck
initially hit the studio with Wilson, the experience left him
puzzled.

"He didn't say
much, so it was quite a bit unnerving," says Beck. "Brian is somewhere else
during that process, so it's not like you're there chatting away. In the end,
though, I'm sure we were on the same page."

Beck says the
upcoming gigs will feature "what I'd call an interesting mix of people, classic
surfing safari music and this weird stuff that I do. But it will sound like it's
all of one accord."

TOUR
DATES

Sept.
27:Hollywood, Fla.

Sept.
28:Tampa

Oct.
3:St.
Augustine

Oct.
4:Atlanta

Oct.
5:Washington

Oct.
6:Bethlehem, Penn.

Oct.
8:Albany, N.Y.

Oct.
9:Boston

Oct.
11:Wallingford, Conn.

Oct.
12:Westbury, Conn.

Oct.
13:Philadelphia

Oct.
15:New
York

Oct.
18:Las
Vegas

Oct.
20:Los
Angeles

Oct.
22:Oakland, Calif.

Oct.
25:Detroit

Oct.
26:Toronto

Oct.
27:Akron, Ohio

-- submitted by Tom Cuddy

re: OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN:

I agree with what you said about Olivia Newton-John. I saw a
picture of her on the internet a couple of days ago, before your posting of her,
and didn't even recognize her.

Larry

I have
to tell you that I was very disappointed to read your comments about Olivia
Newton-John yesterday -- they were uncalled for and downright mean. Look at
what this poor woman has gone through in her life. I think she deserves better
-- and I certainly expected more from you as well.

Kelsey

To be honest, I kicked
around the idea as to whether or not to run that piece for a couple of days
since we had other pieces planned during that interval ... but it was the "Tell
me about it, Stud" line that finally won me over. You're right ... Livy HAS
been through a lot these past few years ... most notably fighting breast cancer
and having a mastectomy. But then I look at everything else ... the backlash
from winning all those country music awards early in her career, taking away
spots that probably more deservedly belonged to our own country artists rather
than an Aussie pop princess ... "Xanadu" (need I say more ... I don't know that
we can EVER forgive her for THAT!!!) ... an ex-husband that wanted to get away
SO badly he faked his own death ... the bad "can you make me look like The
Joker" plastic surgery ... and now a dead body in her Florida home ... jeez, I
don't know ... I mean I like a lot of Olivia's music (although NOT that early
country stuff) ... and I really want to give her the benefit of the doubt ...
but I'm starting to think that just maybe she may have brought some of this
stuff on herself! Mind you, I was totally knocked out by the Sandy
transformation at the end of "Grease" and the subsequent "Totally Hot" /
"Physical" / "Heart Attack" look ... but she has definitely taken a wrong turn
here with this whole cosmetic surgery thing. (kk)

re: MELANIE:

Next Tuesday, August 27th, I will be interviewing
Melanie, “The First Lady of Woodstock”, prior to a signing of her book “Tales
From The Roadburn Café”. Her hits, including the million selling single “Brand
New Key”, “Ruby Tuesday”, “The Nickel Song”, “What Have They Done To My Song,
Ma” and “Candles In The Rain,” were staples of both Top 40 and Album Oriented
Rock radio. Today they are mostly "Forgotten Hits". Admission is free, of
course.Tuesday, August 27 at 6:00
pm at Two Old Hippies, 401 12th
Ave S Nashville, TN 37203 (the Gulch) (615) 254-7999 Ed Salamon

About Two Old
Hippies: Two Old Hippies features Men's and Women's clothing,
accessories, Musical Instruments featuring Breedlove and Bedell Guitars and a
stage for musical performances.About Ed Salamon ;

During his fifteen year partnership with Dick Clark,
Ed Salamon interviewed Beatles, Rolling Stones and just about every star of
rock, country and rhythm and blues. The former President / Programming for
Westwood One Radio Network, Ed is the author of two historical books on radio
and was inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame in
2007.

Meanwhile, please pass along her best ... and
encourage her to let us help promote her book on our website. We ran a special
Melanie mini-series about ten years ago (back when we were still an emailed
newsletter) ... maybe we can resurrect that and run it again along with NEW
information about her new book. I'm game if she is! (kk)

Melanie will also be
promoting the interview and book signing with a rare live radio appearance on
Monday (26th) at 10:30 am with Steve Jarrell on WSGI. Listen live via their
website http://www.wsgi1100.com/

Ed

Yes, but the 27th is my birthday ... and,
speaking of the '60's, this is the big one ... # 6 - 0. So technically the 60's
start in Forgotten Hits next Tuesday! (Stay tuned!)
kk

re: GLEN CAMPBELL:

I did now know or was unaware that Glen Campbell recorded the old
Jack Scott tune BURNING BRIDGES in 1967. His version didn't make our local
survey, the top 40 one.

Larry

The
song held special meaning for Glen ... in fact, I think he recorded it a couple
of times. As for not charting in Oklahoma, not to worry ... it never charted
ANYWHERE! But I know that he loved the song. (kk)

Kent,

Separating the music from the
artist themselves is sometimes necessary, and yet the musician with all their
warts IS their music. When teaching I walk a fine line trying to present music
and performers that will stand on their own, but music is representative OF the
time, and the social times can bring about the music. It all travels together
in a loopy circle. There is a point in my teaching where I need to inform my
class ... "For the next few lessons, most of the artists we listen to will have
died in an airplane crash or of a drug overdose." I do this to put it all out
in the open so I am not plagued with "what are they doing now?" questions, and
yet they feel comfortable in asking me detail questions and theorizing how much
more could have been accomplished had the artist not died so early in their
career. As in Campbell's case, he thankfully survived. What he is going
through now, has gone through in the past, and has inflicted on those around him
is what life consists of: How we handle the good, the bad, and the
ugly.

Shelley J
Sweet-Tufano

re: PAUL
McCARTNEY:

Kent ...

Sir Paul has been around so long,
he's out-living the stadiums the Beatles played in so many years ago. (Shea
Stadium and Candlestick Park) Now he's offered to play one more time at
Candlestick Park before they tear it down. I'm sure their are
others.

Well
Candlestick Park would be quite the milestone ... it's the last place The
Beatles performed as a group (in a concert setting ... purists will cite their
rooftop concert at Apple Studios as being the OFFICIAL last time the group
performed live.) That would be a cool one to see. (Comiskey Park is gone here
in Chicago, home to The Beatles in 1965. You'll find more on The Beatles' appearance at Comiskey Park below ... in yet ANOTHER incredible story about rewriting musical history!)

In addition to just adding his name to the sold-out iHeart Radio Concert coming up in Las Vegas, Macca's
already booking dates into 2014, showing absolutely no sign of letting up. We
just got a notice this morning about tickets going on sale for his concert at
The Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend, Indiana ... for all you
midwestern fans out there! (kk)

re:
THE BEATLES:

Ready for a decent Beatles "unheard
songs" CD set? How about MORE BBC tapes? I love the BBC sessions the fabs did
in US pre-Beatlemania days 62-64. Now, a new set of songs from these sessions
as well as a book covering it all! http://www.masslive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2013/08/more_unheard_beatles_recording.htmlI doubt it will have this one unless they
found better quality, but I love this attached version of Joe Brown's "A Picture
of You." The original 45 version released about the same time as the Beatles'
first hit, "Love Me Do" in May, 1962, in England, was a UK chart rider for an
unprecedented 19 weeks reaching #2 in July, 1962. He played with the Beatles on
same billings and on the enclosed unreleased track, George Harrison adds his
countrified guitar solo to the 1962 BBC taping of Joe's hit live before a
crowd! Certainly, George did many country guitar solos in the early Beatles
hits, especially on BBC cover versions the band did. "Sure to Fall" comes to
mind. For this taping, Harrison was a mere 19 years old, while Brown was an old
man of 21. Brown would later release his version of "A Little Help From My
Friends" within a month of "Sgt. Pepper" Lp release, reaching #32 in UK in July,
1967.

Clark Besch

They've been
pushing the BBC Sessions book for a while now ... I've thought about picking it
up but still haven't gotten around to it.

I've got a feeling these tracks will be more for the
completists out there ... but it'll still be cool to see what they've turned
up. (I've had BBC bootlegs in my collection for decades now ... "clean" copies
would be especially nice!) If nothing else, this book can serve as a
"checklist" for what's still out there. (kk)

Must have been a slow news day!

Last Friday The Daily Herald (our premier suburban
newspaper) ran a front page headline story under the banner "He Couldn't Carry
That Weight". The article (by Josh Stockinger) tells the story of a guy named
Gary Goldberg who, back in the '60's, played in a local garage band called The
Cave Dwellers. Well, it seems Gary has been embellishing his role in local rock
and roll history a little bit ... as in a LOT!!!

Goldberg has done some public speaking claiming to have
been one of the opening acts when The Beatles played Comiskey Park back in
1965. (He couldn't think of a lower profile act than that to attach his wings
to???)

Anyway, he was immediately busted after another
publication ran with his story without doing any fact-checking. (A relatively
easy thing to do these days!) In fact, some of his former bandmates called him
out on it, too.

All in all, it makes for a pretty interesting article
(in a bogus, fake sort of way! This guy even went so far as to claim that he
lent George Harrison his guitar to use on stage that day. If you're gonna lie,
make it a doozy!!!) What I found especially interesting is the fact that a
couple of The Cave Dwellers went on to a little bit more local noteriety with
some of the bands we talk about all the time here in Forgotten Hits like The
Cryan' Shames, The Revells and The New Colony Six.

We've run into quite a few imposters over the years of
doing Forgotten Hits ... most of the time we don't bother to bust them or even
air their stories ... I've just always found it fascinating that these people
felt they had to come up with a completely fake life in order to increase their
(self) importance to those around them. Pretty sad.

I sent a copy to Bruce Mattey, who actually WAS in The
Revells (and plays today with the current edition of The New Colony Six, a role
he's filled for a couple of decades now.) Here are a couple of his comments:

Kent,

I never knew the man. Suffice to say that it is
understood that some of those old rockers may be off their rockers! Interesting
to see the Cave Dwellers and the Revelles names together. It's true that
Gordon and Alfonso came to Revelles from Dwellers. As for Peter Budd, he is
possibly the greatest guitar player I've ever had the pleasure of performing
with. We brought Peter into the Revelles after Les Kümmel left. I believe Les
was with us approximately a year and a half at most. Les and I collaborated on
many songs back in the day but neither of us could hold a candle to Mr. Budd.
Peter has been doing a thing called the Blue Lincolns. I should have gone to see
him but business, family and stuff gets in the way. I'm sure you know what I
mean. In closing we (the New Colony Six) will be up in LaSalle, Wiscosin, on
Sunday September 29th for their Octoberfest. Last time we were there was
about ten yrs ago. I hope they still have cheese curd!

Bruce Mattey

NC6 and beyond

re: BEAUTIFUL
PEOPLE:

>>>That actually WAS the Kenny O'Dell version that I
featured. (I liked the symmetry of following Kenny's hit with a Bobby Vee song
since the two competed for chart space with "Beautiful People".) I always liked
that song ... an under-rated hit to be sure. Here in Chicago, they played BOTH
versions ... WLS went with the Bobby Vee version (it hit #6) while WCFL pushed
the Kenny O'Dell version. (Kenny's peaked at #17). Nationally, it was a pretty
close contest, too. Bobby Vee's version went to #22 while Kenny O'Dells' take
stopped at #31 ... which I never really thought was fair since Kenny also WROTE
the song! (kk)

You're right, of course, about
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE being the Kenny O'Dell version which you posted. I just
listened through it once and thought immediately it was Bobby Vee. I knew
better. Though initially,I did wonder why you would post two songs by the
same artist.

Larry

Kent,

I completely agree with you regarding
Beautiful People.

And I do like Bobby Vee - Come Back When You
Grow Up, The Night Has A Thousand Eyes, Look At Me Girl, Maybe Just Today -
those are all very good songs. And when he did a remake in 1969 of one of my
favorites from 1966, Let's Call It A Day Girl by The Razor's Edge, that was
fine. That should have been a big hit for them, for whatever reason it wasn't,
so they had their chance and he had his three years later. But it seemed
different with his cover of Beautiful People, since the two versions were out at
the same time. It felt like the larger label, Liberty, was trying to push aside
the smaller label, Vegas, even though, as you said, Kenny wrote the song. In
Cleveland, there was a Friday supplement to the local paper with weekend events,
some printed music charts, etc. One week back in 1967, there was a "ballot" to
clip out, although it was more like a ballot in a dictatorship, since there was
only one box to check. The instructions asked you to clip this out and mail it
to your favorite radio station. The box to check said "I want you to only play
the Bobby Vee version of Beautiful People on your station". This really
bothered me. Needless to say, I went around the neighborhood that
weekend, collected as many papers as I could, clipped all the ballots, crossed
out Bobby Vee and wrote in Kenny O'Dell, and mailed them to the local stations.
Just curious - does anyone remember if they tried this crap anywhere else
besides Cleveland?

Doug

Wow, that's a hell of a marketing campaign! (lol) I'm sure most
stations went with the "proven artist" on this one ... by 1967, Bobby Vee had
already been around for years, scoring hit after hit after hit. But then how
does a new artist EVER break through? To my ears, the songs were nearly
identical, making it almost impossible to distinguish one from the other. But
if asked to choose, I'd have to go with Kenny's version on this one.
(kk)

Music
promoter and producer Sid Bernstein, most famous for bringing the
Beatles to Carnegie Hall and Shea Stadium, has died. He was 95.Beyond
the Beatles, Bernstein was a key force in the British invasion of America,
bringing such artists as the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, Herman's Hermits, the
Moody Blues to these shores.Prior to his British collaborations, Bernstein
was an agent at General Artists Corporation, producing the comeback tour of Judy
Garland and, later, on June 9, 1962, bringing Tony Bennett to Carnegie Hall, a
turning point in his career.In early 1964, Bernstein decided to invest his
own money in promoting the Beatles to America after his agency showed no
interest. On February 9, 1964, the Fab Four debuted on the Ed Sullivan show and,
three days later, played two shows at Carnegie Hall. Sid brought them back a
year later for the infamous Shea Stadium concert.Bernstein followed with
more artists out of England but he also took an interest in native American
acts. During the Beatles' Shea Stadium concert, he kept putting the phrase "The
Rascals are coming!" on the venue screen, a reference to the Young
Rascals who he was promoting. He worked with them throughout their hitmaking
years.Among the other artists that he promoted were Frank Sinatra, Jimi
Hendrix, Sly and the Family Stone and, later, Laura Branigan and Lenny Kravitz
along with a just breaking ABBA.He never truly retired, releasing his first
album last year, Sid Bernstein Presents... He also wrote the books
It's Sid Bernstein Calling and Not Just the
Beatles...Bernstein is survived by his wife, six children and six
grandchildren.

And this from
Billboard.com:

Sid
Bernstein, the promoter who brought the Beatles to Shea Stadium, has died. He
was 95.

Bernstein's daughter, Casey Deutsch, says her father died in his
sleep Wednesday morning at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

Bernstein was an early American backer of the Beatles. He made them
the first rock group to play at Carnegie Hall and arranged their historic 1965
show at Shea, a performance that set box office records. He also worked with Judy Garland, Duke
Ellington and Ray Charles, promoted Dion, Bobby Darin and Chubby Checker, and
managed Esy Morales, the Rascals and Ornette Coleman.

He was
an early backer of ABBA, setting up the Swedish group's first American
appearances. He was behind one of the first rock benefit shows, and helped
revive Tony Bennett's career with a 1962 show at Carnegie Hall.

And we got quite a
bit of mail on this one as well ...

Hello All -

I am deeply
saddened to report that Jay Richardson has passed away this morning at the age
of 54. Jay was a professional singer and was known to many around the world as
Big Bopper Jr., the son of rock-n-roll legend and pioneer J.P. “The Big Bopper”
Richardson.

Jay was born on April 28, 1959, in
Houma, Louisiana. His birth came less than 90 days after a plane crash on
February 3, 1959 in Clear Lake, Iowa had taken the life of his father, along
with the lives of fellow rock-n-roll pioneers Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and
pilot Roger Peterson.

He leaves a wife Patty, three
children and one grandchild.

Roddy

Too bad. For the last couple of decades there
has been talk about a Big Bopper movie ... Richardson's co-passengers on that
fateful flight have both been immortalized in film ("La Bamba" for Richie Valens
and "The Buddy Holly Story" for Buddy Holly.) In fact, for YEARS the plan was
to have Richardson's son portray his famous father in the film ... but the deals
just kept falling through. (Obviously, unless they're planning a "Weekend At Bernie's" type bio-pic, things havefallen through permanently now!)
Sad news to hear. (kk)

re: THIS AND THAT:

2013 has
certainly been the year of the "50th Anniversary" ... who knew so many pivotal
moments in music occurred in 1963?!?! But don't look for a Byrds' 50th
Anniversary Reunion next year ... not according to Roger McGuinn and Rolling
Stone Magazine anyway. (Wild Bill would have LOVED this story!!! We miss ya,
buddy! Of course if the remaining original Byrds actually DID get back together, ol' Bill might come back just to see them!!! I can't see him missing THAT show despite ANY obstacle!!!) kk

Next year marks the 50th anniversary of
theByrds, but don't expect the them to
commemorate the occasion with any sort of reunion. Despite clear interest from
founding members Chris Hillman and David Crosby, Byrds frontman Roger McGuinn
remains staunchly opposed to a reformation of the groundbreaking folk-rock band.
"I'm happy with the Byrds as a good memory," he tellsRolling Stone. "David and I have
talked about this at length, and to me a reunion would just be for the money.
We'd go out and play some sheds, maybe gross a couple of million dollars and
split it four or five ways. I'm not attracted to expensive things. I don't need
a Ferrari or anything like that."

McGuinn says that the decision isn't personal,
and that he remains extremely fond of Crosby.
"I love David," he says. "He's funny, smart and very talented. He's one of the
best harmony singers on the planet. He's a great rhythm player. He's written
some really nice songs. I have nothing against David. This isn't personal . . .
Again, I just think it would be about money and I don't need it. My wife is very
good at budgeting. We don't need much. It's kind of likePete
Seeger. He made money, but he gave it all away and lives up on that
hill."

Crosby remains frustrated with the situation,
but he has equally warm feelings toward McGuinn. "Roger was at least 50 percent
of the Byrds," he tellsRolling Stone. "He's a fantastic
musician and a really bright guy. I think he's the best interpreter ofBob Dylanthat's ever been. He's just not interested
in a Byrds reunion. It's a shame because he and Chris and I could do it. It
would be great fun, but I got tired of asking him. I must have asked him at
least 10 times and he always says
no."

Crosby, Stills
and Nashkeep David Crosby very
busy, but he says he would happily balance the two groups if given the chance.
"Who doesn't want to be in two bands?" he says. "And they're completely
different. My job in the Byrds is very simple. All I gotta do is be a wingman to
Roger. I could do that in my sleep. You should have seen how fun it was to take
a Bob Dylan song like 'Chimes of Freedom' and come up with an arrangement and
make a Byrds song out of it. It was really fucking fun . . . And to me a reunion
wouldn't be about the money. I honestly don't even think it would even by that
big of a money deal." Regardless of how much money he stands to make,
McGuinn is adamant that he's happy as a solo artist. "I love being a
troubadour," he says. "I travel around the world with my wife and play little
theaters. We have a ball. I just went on a few dates with Peter Frampton, and
that was kind of fun because he has a great band. I'm going out soon and playing
some dates with Mart Stuart, so I get to play with a band sometimes. I also play
with the Rock Bottom Remainders whenever they want me to do
that."

David Crosby has also expressed interest in
writing new songs with McGuinn, but that's also unlikely. "I don't feel like
writing any songs at this point," McGuinn says. "I returned to my folk roots about 18 years
ago. That's where my heart is. I love doing the traditional
stuff."

Even if the Byrds never play again, Crosby remains proud of his group's legacy. "Bob Dylan was
coming to see us," he says. "He heard us play his stuff electric and you could
hear the gears clicking in his head. He heard us do 'Mr. Tambourine Man' and he
said 'uh-huh.' He then went out and found guys that could do that. The first
batch players with Michael Bloomfield wasn't so good. But when you get theBand. . . They were so fucking good. When I
first heard them I wanted to quit the business. I thought, 'Okay, well that's
it. Not going to be able to do anything better than
that!'"

Back around 1970-71, Eydie Gorme (R.I.P.) just missed the top 40
but did hit big on what were then called MOR (middle of the road) stations with
"Tonight I'll Say A Prayer." I think it was an English lyric to what was
originally an Italian or Spanish tune (quite common then.) Great song, one of
my favorite 70's non-hit pure pop female records along with Bobbi Martin's
"Something Tells Me" and others.

Jim

Looking at Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart Book (another one
of those GREAT books in Joel Whitburn's Record Research Library ... if you were
into this MOR music, this is a "Must Have" for your collection!) ... "Tonight
I'll Say A Prayer" went to #8 in 1970. In fact, Eydie did pretty well on
Billboard's MOR Chart ... ten Top 20 hits in all between 1963 and 1972.
(kk)

David Cassidy was arrested last week for driving while
intoxicated. (No, this is not the first time this has happened ... in fact, we
could probably assemble a David Cassidy Mug Shot portfolio pretty soon.)
Clearly he has a problem (and how he continues to beallowed to drive is beyond me)
... we have seen him inebriated on stage more than once, too. Too bad because
he really is a talented guy ... I honestly believe that deep down he hates the
person he had to become during the teen idol years and that it has eaten at him
ever since ... and that's a shame. (Then again this most recent mug shot isn't
one of those teen idol glamour shots that you'd want hanging up on your bedroom
wall ... take a look!) I DO love his first response to the arresting officer,
however ... that's a classic. (I'm not making this stuff up ... the cop's
name just happens to be Tom Jones ... and when he approached Cassidy's vehicle
to introduce himself, David replied "What's New, Pussycat?" No official report
as to whether or not the arresting officer had a sock stuffed in his pants ...
but from what I understand, David "horse" Cassidy is not lacking in that department.)
kk

This report comes from Vintage Vinyl News:

David Cassidy was arrested
early Wednesday morning outside of Albany, NY for driving while
intoxicated.Shodack town police officer Tom Jones was part of a DWI
checkpoint when Cassidy was pulled over. According to reports, when Jones
introduced himself to Cassidy, David said "What's new, pussycat?"After being
asked to pull to the side of the road by the officer, he was given a DWI test
including a breathalyzer which registered a blood alcohol level of .10. .08 is
the legal limit in the state.Cassidy was taken to the Rensselear County Jail
where he was charged with felony DUI, necessitated by a prior conviction from
2011 in the state of Florida. He was released after paying a $2,500 bail.The
singer is a full time resident of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, but spends part of the
summer in the Saratoga Springs area of New York where he frequents the Saratoga
Race Course.Cassidy is due back in court on September
4.

Speaking of teen idols, there was BIG news going around this
past week about a possible N*SYNC reunion. At work (where we now have a decidedly younger mix of people), everybody was on cloud nine, chomping at the bit with anticipation. (I mean these guys were this generation's Beatles!!!)Quite frankly, I'm a little surprised by this ...
Justin Timberlake has a brand new movie coming out in October, a hit album on the charts and he's almost
reinvented himself as the COMPLETE celebrity ... he has proven to be incredibly talented in every
field he chooses. As for the others? Not so much. (I mean think about it ...
what do you even know about the other four guys other than the obvious tabloid headlines?) JC Chasez was the next
most-likely member to make it as a solo artist ... and his first LP made a few
waves but then quickly disappeared ... as did he ... I couldn't begin tell
you what HE'S been doing lately. Joey Fatone has pretty much become anon-singing, perennial game show host ... Lance Bass would have to pull his
latest boyfriend out of his butt to go back on tour again ... and Chris
Kirkpatrick is like that 7th Dwarf you can never seem to remember the name of.
Then again a tour like this would probably earn the quintet millions ... but
why? Justin certainly doesn't need to do it ... and would probably have to put
a dozen major projects on hold in order to take part. In a way, it reminds me
of when Michael Jackson reunited with his brothers for that big Victory Tour ...
except it was his parents (and obligation to family) that made him do that one
... what is Justin's motivation? Time will tell. (kk)Kent,A few things about
today's comments. Your reader mentioning posting songs of the "war" era
reminded me that just two weeks ago I thought of and got out Country Joe
McDonald's I FEEL LIKE I'M FIXING TO DIE RAG.I was curious about something.
I went and checked to see how high the Guy Marks record made it here in OKC. I
missed it the first time around. It made it's debut on the survey for the week
of April 3, 1968, at the bottom of the survey as the PICK HIT OF THE WEEK. It
was only on the survey for just three weeks, peaking at song position #18
for two weeks straight before it fell off.And finally, regarding YEH!YEH!
... Remember the earlier version from 1963 Mongo "WATERMELON MAN"
Santamaria?LarryYeah the "novelty" of novelty
songs often wore off quickly ... as seems to be the case with the Guy Marks
song. (Strangely enough, quite a few of our readers remembered it however.) I
swear it charted here in Chicago, too, but cannot find it listed in either of
Ron Smith's books ... maybe it just got played a few times and then
forgotten.

I
honestly DON'T remember Mongo Santamaria's version of "Yeh! Yeh!" It looks like
it was his follow up hit to "Watermelon Man" ... although "hit" is being a bit
kind. It charted for exactly one week in Billboard, peaking at #92. But now I
was curious ... I had to hear it! (I went to iTunes to find a copy and was
surprised to see it was an instrumental. I guess that makes sense, but I
honestly think the Georgie Fame hit version is "jazzier" than this original.) I
suppose I could play the GERMAN version of Fame's version instead ... it
wouldn't be the first time we've featured THIS one in Forgotten Hits!
(kk)

Hi Kent,Loved your Forgotten 45's again this issue, especially
Guy Mark's "Loving You Has Made Me Bananas" -- haven't heard that in years --
seems to me I saw him perform that on the Ed Sullivan Show.

Was listening to "Sad Sweet Dreamer" again, and just for the heck
of it, I thought I wonder who the lead singer was, thinking I would see if she
went on to a solo career and was surprised to find out, she was a he, and his
name was Marcel King. I would have sworn that was a female singing lead on that
song -- was sad to hear that Marcel King passed away in 1995 -- great
voice. And here's just a bit of trivia ... might be old news to you, but
interesting nonetheless. Don't know if you have heard of Tony Burrows, a
British studio singer, but with the popularity of the indie film documentary
"Twenty Feet From Stardom" currently playing featuring singers you have heard a
million times but haven't been given their just due of fame (Darlene Love, Merry
Clayton, Judith Hill, Tata Vega, etc). Tony Burrows in the U.K. was the lead
singer on many songs you have heard under the names of many different groups
including Edison Lighthouse with "Love Grows Where My Rosemary Grows", White
Plains with "My Baby Loves Lovin'", The Pipkins with "Gimme Dat Ding", First
Class with "Beach Baby", and The Brotherhood Of Man with "United We Stand."
How's that for a resume.Peace,Tim Kiley

Yep, Tony Burrows may be the most famous "unfamous" ghost singer
ever. Obviously, he was the "go to" guy in Britain ... and that combination
paid off numerous times ... that's quite a hit list for ANY artist ... but
you're right, MOST folks wouldn't even know his name.

We
still haven't found "Twenty Feet From Stardom" playing anywhere around here ...
and we REALLY want to see it. (May have to wait for the DVD on this
one.)

Good response to "Sad Sweet Dreamer", another Top 20 Hit that radio
ignores ... but I can't get over the response to "Loving You Has Made Me
Bananas" ... that one just blows me away!!! (Proof again that we really DO
remember this stuff ... when will these programmers out there start to give us
credit for having half a brain instead of continuing to insult us by playing the
exact same 200 songs on a daily basis?!?!?)

Thanks, Tim! (kk)

Got
this from FH Reader Dave Barry ... gee, if I had just spent a couple of years in
prison for tax evasion, I'm not so sure I'd be out there telling everybody how
easy I had it, making the whole ordeal sound like a stay at the country club.
(Then again if I was ever busted for tax evasion, I don't think I'd be afforded
the same luxuries as Ronald Isley apparently was!!! This sort of stuff just
doesn't happen to REAL people. Witness my David Cassidy comments
above!) kk

Ronald Isley, lead singer of the Isley Brothers since the group's
inception more than 60 years ago, is feeling quite blessed these days. He made
it through two years of incarceration, from 2007 to 2009, at the Federal
Correctional Institution in Terre Haute, Ind., for income tax evasion and thanks
the moral support of fellow prisoners and regular daylong visits from his wife
and infant son for having made his stay easier. "It was like a camp," Isley,
72, says by phone from his home in St. Louis. "It wasn't no prison. Wasn't no
fence or anything. I worked in the chapel and sang for everybody every Monday in
the chapel. They treated me like you wouldn't believe. They treated me like
Johnny Cash or Elvis Presley or somebody." Ronald Jr., now 6, can be heard
playing in the background. At one point during the interview, Ronald Sr. briefly
consults his wife, Kandy Johnson, who at 36 is half his age. She and her two
sisters have been his backup singers since 1998, she says. They were married in
2005. Decades of hits Isley is elated that his latest album, "This Song
Is for You," released July 16, premiered at No. 3 on Billboard's R&B chart
and No. 27 on the magazine's Top 200 pop chart. It may not have come close to
matching the success of such gold and platinum Isley Brothers albums of the of
the '70s, '80s, '90s and 2000s as "The Heat Is On," "Showdown," "Go All the
Way," "Between the Sheets," "Greatest Hits, Vol. 1" and "Eternal," but it does
place the singer as one of the few artists to have scored hits in every decade
since he and his brothers made their chart debut with the single "Shout" in
1959. The elasticity and power of Isley's multi-octave pipes are
undiminished, judging from the 14 tunes on "This Song Is for You," including
duets with young soul singers Kem and Trey Songz. Traces of his early idols
Clyde McPhatter, Jackie Wilson and especially Sam Cooke, whose elegant curlicues
he emulates, are evident in his phrasing, yet the overall sound is instantly
recognizable as that of Ronald Isley. "I pray about that all the time and
ask God, 'Please let me maintain my voice and let me be able to do this career.'
And he has done just that," says Isley, who is on a cross-country tour, between
headliner Maze featuring Frankie Beverly and opener Kem, that stops Saturday at
Concord's Sleep Train Pavilion. Five brothers Of the three Isley
brothers who began recording in 1957 on the aptly named Teenage label, only
Ronald remains. Oldest brother Kelly died of a heart attack in 1985.
Second-oldest brother Rudolph left the group three years later to become a
preacher. Younger brother Ernie made his recording debut with the group in 1969,
playing bass on the hit "It's Your Thing" before switching to guitar, which he
plays in a blistering style inspired by onetime Isley Brothers sideman Jimi
Hendrix. Youngest brother Marvin, who became the group's bassist in 1971, lost
his legs to complications of diabetes in 1997 and died three years ago.
Although Ronald has been billed as a solo artist on his three most recent
albums, he maintains the group name for his performances with Ernie. "I just
kept the logo of the Isley Brothers," he says. "My father and mother always
wanted me to do that." Kelly, Rudolph, Ronald and younger brother Vernon
(who died in 1954) began singing gospel music as children in their native
Cincinnati, accompanied by their piano-teacher mother. They specialized in songs
popularized by the Ward Singers, a female group that featured Clara Ward and
Marion Williams, and opened church engagements and concerts for top gospel
quartets such as the Dixie Hummingbirds and the Soul Stirrers, who then featured
Cooke. They would get to know Cooke better a few years later, when he and they
were recording secular music for RCA Victor and being produced by Hugo Peretti
and Luigi Creatore. Ronald credits his parents with giving him and his
brothers a well-rounded music education. Taught by parents "We started
in gospel, and then they taught us country and western and popular music - just
the whole nine," he says. "They made me listen to Nat King Cole and all the
great singers. My mother taught music, and my father was into music. He sang,
too, so he taught us. I was brought up on all those great singers: Frank
Sinatra, Perry Como, Tony Bennett, just everybody who could stand up and really
sing." The Isley Brothers' hits were sporadic during most of the 1960s, the
biggest being "Twist and Shout" on Wand Records and "This Old Heart of Mine" on
Motown's Tamla label. After starting their own T-Neck label in 1969, however,
the hits came in rapid succession, including "It's Your Thing," "That Lady,"
"Fight the Power," "The Pride," "Don't Say Goodnight" and "Between the Sheets."
"We could control what we wanted to do," Ronald says of the reason for
starting T-Neck, which folded in 1983, although the group continued having hits
on other labels through 2006. "We could control what we wanted to release. We
could write our own songs. Self-contained thing "We wanted to do our
self-contained thing, such as the Beatles. They recorded 'Twist and Shout' and
'Shout' and a lot of Chuck Berry songs, but they wanted to do their own thing
and started to write their own songs and record the way they wanted to. They had
the success, and that's what we were able to do." "I keep up with rap music
and everything that happens in the business," Isley says when asked about the
reasons for his career longevity. "A big part of my success is being
competitive. We've always been competitive. We've always wanted to be first.
"I've had a blessed career," he adds, "from the beginning." {sbox}. The
Isley Brothers Featuring Ronald Isley: 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Sleep Train Pavilion,
2000 Kirker Pass Road, Concord. $35.75-$125.75. (925) 676-8742.
www.livenation.com. Lee Hildebrand is a freelance writer. E-mail: sadolphson@sfchronicle.com

For
those of you who have always wondered, Ben Fong-Torres reports that the twelve
most common words used in pop music song titles are:

And finally, congratulations to our FH Buddy
Chet Coppock on his new gig ... Chicago Radio and Media is
reporting:

Chicago sports broadcasting legend Chet Coppock will now seen
regularly on WFLD-TV's newscasts. Coppock will join FOX 32's lead sports anchor
Lou Canellis on his sports reports three Tuesdays and one Sunday per month. The
first occurrence of this will be this coming Tuesday, August
27th.

And, speaking of Chet Coppock, he is now a large contributor to a
new website, MajorOnions.com. The Major Onions website covers Chicago sports,
entertainment, lifestyle, opinions, and more on a daily
basis.

WTG, Chet ... nice touch kicking off your broadcast on my 60th
Birthday!!! We'll have to watch MajorOnios.com ... this just may be the new
home of our popular Coppock's Topics Series! (kk)

Speaking of "On The Radio" ...

re: ON THE
RADIO:

>>>I must thank Uncle Ricky for this wonderful
opportunity to be featured on the incomparable "Reel Radio" website and to
Bobby Ocean for his fantastic showcasing of my work on his "Bobby's Update
Aircheck Channel" for without none of this would be possible. I am, indeed,
humbled . . . . ."

(Fade in Overpowering "Time's Up" music here ...)
The FAB 40 is determined by actual REEL RADIO listeners
and ranked by SHARE of total listening time in the previous week. --
ReelRadio.com is the largest radio show aircheck
archive in existence. -http://www.reelradio.com/(Chuck
Buell)

>>>Hmmm ... well, I'd like to think that maybe we helped
just a LITTLE bit, too ... probably sending a couple hundred new listeners over
to Reel Radio to check out these ... and some of their other amazing clips!!!
(kk)

Here's a Big
"Thanx to you, Kent" for the mention of my aircheck appearance in the "Reel
Radio" Archives in your "Forgotten Hits!" (Or, as we used to say Back in the
Day, "Thanx for the Ink!") There's no doubt that what you say is Truth! That
many of the "Forgotten Hits" Readers did check it after your comments
about it and, in doing so, helped my "ratings" on RR's "Fab Forty!" ~~~
Chuck

You know I was just kidding,
right?!?! But seriously, thanks for the thanks ... ALWAYS glad to help in any
way we can. (Now wait till you see how many Coke ads we've come up with!!! lol)
kk

re: COUNTING THEM DOWN:

An oldies radio tradition ... and it
looks like we've got a couple of competing Top 500 Countdowns going
on.

I played around with this for a little while ... and the
match-ups literally never end. I finally quit after "I Love Rock And Roll" by
Joan Jett came up for the 17th time!!! A pretty limited selection here
(including at least half a dozen songs I absolutely hate) ... but if it helps
them reach their goal, more power to them. Unfortunately, all you're really
doing is limiting this year's list to the exact same songs that made LAST year's
list ... so where's the adventure (or the variety) there??? (kk)

And, if you're a Sirius / XM Subscriber you won't want
to miss our next special countdown on Lou Simon's '60's Satellite Survey ...
just like we did for the 4th of July, we've put together a very special Top 40
of The Highest Debut Records by The Top 100 Artists of the '60's. Using Dann
Isbell's book "Ranking The '60's" as our guide, we first determined the Top 100
Artists of the Decade. Then, we looked at each of these artists' debut record
on The Hot 100 Chart. Based on the overall chart performance of those debuts, we
then calculated The Top 40 Biggest Debuts of the '60's ... a TOTALLY unique
countdown that will air EXCLUSIVELY on Lou Simon's Sirius / XM '60's Satellite
Survey beginning on Saturday, August 31st (at 2 pm Eastern) and running
throughout the Labor Day Weekend with rebroadcasts scheduled for Sunday,
September 1st (10 am Eastern), Monday (Labor Day, September 2nd at Noon Eastern)
and Wednesday, September 4th at 9 pm Eastern. Be sure to check the '60's
Channel Calendar for all the details. (kk)

Does anyone remember a comedy
record, spoken over music, with a sort of Maynard G. Krebbs type 60's hipster
who kept repeating, "Like man, I'm a musician, and I blow drums." Driving me
wacko trying to remember this ... and I think I even used to have a copy too.
Sheeesh.

And lastly but not leastly, does
anyone know the origin of a DJ-only record in which Mel Blanc did one-liners as
the various Warner Bros. characters? The format was a knock at the door, a
one-liner, then a door slam. Bugs Bunny and Tweety & Sylvester and the rest
were all there; but the two I remember most were Porky Pig wanting "a job as a
radio an-n-nn-, a radio a-nn-n-nn, a d-dd-d-disc jockey," and Yosemite Sam
shouting "Kill the power! Ah cain't stand it no more!!" I've heard it might
have been called something like "Run-Ins" or "Run-Throughs," but have never seen
a copy "in the wild."

Jim

Anybody out there able to help with this one? (kk)

re: WE'VE GOT YOU
COVERED:

Not much response to our "favorite
covers" inquiry the other day ... but FH Reader Scott Paton has cast a few votes
for The Beach Boys in this department ...

Hi
Kent,

Like
you, I rarely find remakes as satisfying as the original recordings of
songs.But as comparisons of anything
artistic are completely subjective in the eye or ear of the beholder, I think
the trump card is often held by whatever rendition of a song the listener heard
first.

For
example, I never heard the Soul Brother Six’s original 1967 version of “Some
Kind of Wonderful” until well into the ‘80s.As a result, Grand Funk’s 1976 cover remains definitive for me, although
I do know
better.

Anyway, when I was a writer for Casey Kasem’s “AT 40,” we did
several stories about Johnny Rivers and Linda Ronstadt being the “King and Queen
of Hit Remakes.”Nevertheless, I’d be
hard-pressed to select any of their covers as the definitive take on the early
Rock and Motown tunes they recorded.Linda may have gotten close with her version of Roy Orbison’s “Blue
Bayou,” but that is debatable.

The
only act that I feel consistently bettered previous hit chestnuts was the Beach
Boys.Doo Wop purists may disagree with
me, but Brian and the Boys’ updates of Frankie Lymon’s“Why Do Fools Fall In Love,” the Mystics’
“Hushabye” and the Students’ “I’m So Young” are inarguably stellar.Even “Barbara Ann,” which Carl Wilson so
dreaded every night on-stage, makes the Regents’ original sound robotic.

Conversely, while it was nice to have the Beach Boys back on the
charts, few would argue that latter-day remakes such as “Rock & Roll Music”
and “Hot Fun In the Summertime” eclipsed Chuck Berry and Sly & the Family
Stone.

But
when it comes to these next four cover versions, the Beach Boys own them lock,
stock & barrel:

“Do You Wanna Dance”

More
a nod to Del Shannon’s own prior remake than the Bobby Freeman original, Dennis
Wilson’s one and only lead vocal on a hit single made this song his for all
eternity.Among big brother Brian’s many
lauded talents, his ability to assign the lead to the appropriate man among five
great singers was unfailingly brilliant.

This
recording, once considered a toss-away Top 20 hit, so perfectly captures
Dennis’s energy and sex appeal and looms larger today in the Beach Boys’ canon
than it did at the time.Live bootlegs
from the ‘60s reveal the hysteria Denny’s performance of this tune generated
among the teen and pre-teen girls in the
audience.

Although buried in a dense Spectorish-sorta mix, Brian’s
background vocal arrangement is amazing, as is his stratospheric falsetto.This is one of many examples where Brian’s
skills as an arranger are working more subliminally than right in your
face.

“Sloop John
B.”

The
average listener doesn’t know that this Beach Boys classic started out as a Carl
Sandberg poem and was previously released in song form by the Weavers and the
Kingston Trio.

The
Beach Boys pinched their early striped shirts from the Trio, and Al Jardine was
and is a big fan of their fellow
Capitol Records act.Al’s never really
gotten his due for suggesting this song to Brian, who opted to record this
amidst the “Pet Sounds” sessions, despite the fact that he was not much of a Kingston Trio fan, finding
the group somewhat quaint and
soulless.

Still, Brian heard something in the simplicity of the song, which
played counterpoint to one of his greatest instrumental tracks and most complex
vocal arrangements.One of the truly
finest Beach Boys singles.

“I Can Hear
Music”

Brian Wilson’s obsession with the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” is
legendary.It was and remains his favorite 45.But this remake of a late-in-the-game
Ronettes single (I think it peaked at #100 on the Billboard chart in 1966) is strictly a
Carl Wilson production.

Cut
in 1968 for the Beach Boys’ last album for Capitol Records, the instrumental
track is an exercise in spare simplicity — drums, acoustic guitars and
piano.But its grandeur emanates from
stacks of vocals that would and did
make Brian proud of his baby brother.This, in fact, was the first Beach Boys single not to include any
participation from the elder Wilson
brother.

As
such, it was also proof that the other members of the group were now capable of
creating sonic masterpieces that rivaled those of their genius, sometime
leader.And the majestic lead
performance turned in by Carl clearly established him as the finest voice among
a peerless vocal ensemble.

“Cottonfields”

The
Beach Boys final LP for Capitol, “20/20,” was a hodge-podge of tunes from the
vault, recent singles and filler.Nevertheless, it turned out to be a very strong collection, albeit a
poor-seller at the time.

With
tracks produced by individual members of the group, both Carl and Dennis Wilson
made strong showings.While big brother
Bri was represented by aborted “Smile” offerings and tunes snatched back from a
trio he was producing named Redwood (soon to be re-dubbed Three Dog Night), he
did find time to tackle a remake of an old folk
classic.

“Cottonfields” was written and first recorded by Huddie Ledbetter,
best-known as “Leadbelly,” in 1940.In
the intervening years, it became something of a folk standard, as dozens of
other artists added it to their repertoires.Brian Wilson’s take on it, featuring Al Jardine on the lead, never quite
escaped a languid, mid-tempo beat.

Feeling that the track was “under-produced,” Al convinced the band
to re-record an uptempo take on the tune during one of the Beach Boys’ rehearsal
sessions.The group members were
augmented by a few sessions musicians, most notably Red Rhodes on pedal steel
guitar, which gave the track a decidedly more country
feel.

“Cottonfields,” Version Two, became the Beach Boys final single
for Capitol Records.And while it
stiffed in the U.S., it became a Top Ten hit
throughout much of the world, even topping the charts in many European
countries.

A
modified Brian Wilson arrangement with a more dynamic production courtesy of Al
Jardine, this is a brilliant Beach Boys single and a great bookend to “Sloop
John B.”

These four remakes certainly eclipse the original
recordings.

Regards,

Scott Paton

The
Beach Boys' recording of "I Can Hear Music" is, without a doubt, one of my
absolute favorites by them. A GREAT recording that I crank up every time it
comes on. (I even like the country version they recorded with Kathy Troccoli
for their "Stars And Stripes" CD ... by far the strongest track on the disk.)
And I would agree that "Do You Wanna Dance", "Sloop John B" (also recorded by
Jimmie Rodgers by the way) and "Barbara Ann" deserve a spot on this list as
well. ("Cottonfields"? "Why Do Fools Fall In Love"? Maybe not so much ... and
quite honestly I don't need to EVER hear their version "Rock And Roll Music"
again!!!)

Anybody else got
some favorite remakes they want to share? (kk)

re: MORE MUSIC MERGERS:

How about Peter Paul and Mary Wells

Peter and Gordon Lightfoot

Chad and Jeremy Piven

Jackie Wilson Pickett

Stevie Ray Wonder

Styx and Stones

Elvis Presley Costello

Carly Simon and Garfunkel

Buddy Guy Lombardo

Freddy and the Dreamers and the
Flock

A Flock of Byrds

re: THE SONNY GERACI BENEFIT
CONCERT:

Hey Kent -

Wanted to let
you know that The Rip Chords have been added to the Sonny Geraci Benefit Concert
taking place in November in Ohio. We're looking forward to being there, and
helping with Sonny's cause. He is a living legend, and we're honored to be
there. Thanks to Rae and Dennis Tufano for putting this show
together!

Mitch
Schecter

That's great
news, Mitch. We're still kicking around the idea of bringing the show to
Chicago, too ... a GREAT chance to help raise money for Sonny's medical bills as
well as an opportunity for the artists to add a second midwest gig to their
itinerary and help control some of the traveling expense. (Plus that would mean
I'd finally get the chance to see you guys!!!) I'll keep you posted.
(kk)

Dennis Tufano tells us that a few more acts have
been booked ... and several others are trying to rearrange their schedules in
order to participate ... so watch more future updates.

Currently on board:

Dennis Tufano (The Buckinghams), Terry Sylvester
(The Hollies), Ron Dante (The Archies), Johnny Farino (Santo and Johnny), Jim
Gold (Gallery), Jimy Sohns (The Shadows Of Knight), The Rip Chords, Pat Upton
(The Spiral Starecase) and The 1910 Fruit Gum Company. The concert is scheduled
for November 15th and 16th at The Z-Plex in Streetsboro, Ohio and tickets are
$35 per person. Interested artists can contact us and we'll be happy to pass
the information along.

Also, artists unable to attend due to scheduling
conflict are encouraged to donate some autographed memorabilia to be sold at
auction to help raise funds for Sonny's medical bills. Again, keep watching
these pages for more details. (kk)

re: OTHER
SHOWS:

Yay Kent,

Finally, a concert! And a great
one, too! Last night The Buckinghams made it (after an air delay from Arkansas)
to The Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun. We had to stand in line an extra hour to let
them plug everything in and do a quick sound-check, but then we were seated. My
friend and I ended up front and center between Carl and Nick. (side-note:
standing in line to see the 60's, in your 60's, takes a tougher toll on your
body than it did when you were 13 ... just sayin') The first couple songs had me
worried ... not because they weren't good ... but because Carl's mic wasn't loud
enough. BUT the awesome crew at The Den soon fixed that situation, and the show
magnified in intensity. All The Bucks' songs were there, but this solo
appearance gave Carl, Nick, Dave Zane, Bruce and Bruce (Rocky); a chance to rock
some other great oldies but goodies. Since Carl and Nick had appeared in the
last three Happy Together Tours, they sang a tribute to the entertainers, past
and present, who have toured with them. Too many other great memories to put in
print, but I am proud to say that Carl and Nick are using Dave and his abilities
to their advantage to make these shows more than our expectations are. A very
quick introduction in the autograph line and we were off to recap and eat.
Later, I went into the computer lounge to type Facebook updates and reviews, and
Carl walks in ... what me nervous? As I'm typing about him, and he wants to
read over my shoulder? OH YES!! So Carl, this piece was typed the next morning
at the same computer where I left you last night. Gotcha!

Shelley J Sweet-Tufano

Kent, both Carl and I
remarked how nice you are. :-)

I will be sitting in at Jimmy Vivino's Rockabilly Revue at
BB Kings in NYC along with Robert Gordon, Johnny A, Lee Rocker,
Anton Fig and probably more 9/7. Come on down and slide back to the 50's
with us!

By the way, the Michael Bloomfield box set I have just spent a year
working on will be out in January, 2014.

Sincerely,

@l k%per

With Forgotten Hits readers all over the world,
we're happy to help promote Bob Lind's upcoming European tour. And, if any of
you DO happen to catch any of these shows, please report back to us ... and let
Bob know that you heard about it in Forgotten Hits! (kk)

I'm sending this to everyone
-- even those of you on this side of The Pond.

One never knows who will be where
when.

To my Brit and Spanish friends and
fans, and anyone who may happen to be in Spain or the U.K. in late August or
early September:

In one week I'll be leaving for
Europe. Six shows in England; Three in Spain.

More specifically:

U.
K.

Friday, Aug. 30 = Dorset (End of
the Road Festival)

Monday, Sept. 2 = Brighton (The
Greys)

Tuesday, Sept. 3 = London (The
Slaughtered Lamb)

Wednesday, Sept. 4 = Sheffield (The
Greystones)

Thursday, Sept. 5 = Winchester (The
Railway)

Friday, Sept 6 = Bristol (The Grain
Barge)

SPAIN

Thursday, Sept 12 = Bilbao (Colegio
de Abogados)

Friday, Sept 13 = Madrid
(Siroco)

Saturday, Sept 14 = Madrid
(Radiocity Discos) show and signing.

Those are the broad strokes. For
specifics on venue locations, ticket sales and other info, please consult the
Gigs Page of my web site: http://boblind.com/gigs/

Well, MY 60s anyway!!! Which means that over the next 60 days or so, we'll be sharing specialmemories and moments of the '60's ... and we invite YOU to contribute, too! We'll kick it off on Tuesday ... only in
Forgotten Hits!

And don't forget ... on Monday in Forgotten Hits: It's our review of The Happy
Together Show, performed at The Paramount Theatre in Aurora, Illinois, last
Friday Night. We were there and we'll tell you all about it ... plus we might
even have a photo or two to
share.

ALSO COMING UP: A couple of REALLY cool Forgotten Hits Interviews. Be sure to check the website regularly ... you NEVER know what you're going to find here!!!

Welcome To Forgotten Hits ... Where We're Keeping Yesterday Alive!

Have a comment about one of our posts?Simply send an email to kk@forgottenhits.comand we'll publish the best ones in our Sunday Comments Page.And be sure to check out our OTHER website to read many of our archived articles, Forgotten Hits Oldies Polls and Readers' Favorites: www.forgottenhits.com.(All material copyright 1998 - 2018, Kent Kotal and Forgotten Hits Publishing)

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FIRST 45's

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We're doing our part to help Keep Yesterday Alive ... thanks to a GREAT list of music fans and contributors from all over the world. Forgotten Hits is Oldies Radio's Best Friend ... it's Radio That You Can Read! We're asking the deejays to dig just a LITTLE bit deeper and push the envelope just a LITTLE bit further and take the time to remember and acknowledge some of those GREAT songs and artists that we all know and love that just don't get played anymore ... the ones that traditional oldies radio has forgotten all about with their short, repetitive play lists. Without your help and support, this great music will continue to disappear and fade away.